Apparatus and method for processing phone-in prescriptions

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method are disclosed for processing phone-in prescription requests. The apparatus is in the form of a prescription processing network that includes a prescription processing system and a communication device remotely located from the prescription processing system. The communication device is used to establish a communication channel with the prescription processing system and submit a prescription request over the communication channel. A pharmacist, associated with the prescription processing system, prepares a completed prescription form based, at least in part, on the submitted prescription request. The prescription processing network also includes a pharmacy for receiving the completed prescription form, and filling the prescription request based on the completed prescription form.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/763,076, filed Apr. 19, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,380, which is adivisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/447,418, filed Jun. 5,2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,702,525, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/055,968, filed Jan. 28, 2002, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,058,584, all of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present application relates to processing prescription requests and,more particularly, to an apparatus and method for processingprescription requests submitted by physicians via, for example, atelephone or other remote device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Patients often require medication during the course of receiving healthcare services. The medication typically cannot be purchased over thecounter, and must be prescribed by a physician. The physician must alsodetermine an appropriate therapy for the medication. The therapy caninclude, for example, selection of the appropriate medication (or drug),medication strength, and dosage. The therapy must also be varied basedon the individual patient. For example, consider two patients who aresuffering from the same illness. The therapy for the first patient maynot be appropriate for the second patient due to various physicaldifferences such as age, weight, prior medical history or condition,etc.

Next, the physician must prepare a prescription request which containsall the necessary information regarding the therapy. This can be done,for example, manually or telephonically. Manual preparation requireswriting the information on a prescription form. The patient then submitsthe prescription form to a pharmacist, who subsequently fills theprescription (i.e., prepares the medication). This process, however, canbe very time-consuming and problematic for patients that requireimmediate dosages of the medication.

In order to at least minimize the amount of time required before apatient can receive the prescribed medication, physicians often place atelephone call to the pharmacy and submit the prescription requesttelephonically. The prescription request would then be filled by thepharmacist and the medication subsequently retrieved by the patient.This would eliminate, or at least reduce, the amount of time which thepatient must wait for the medication.

We have determined that there are various problems associated withtelephone prescription requests. First, the prescription request must besubmitted to a registered pharmacist. Thus, the pharmacist isinterrupted from the preparation of other prescription requests. Theseinterruptions can result in significant increases in the amount of timerequired to fill all the prescription requests received at the pharmacy.The interruptions also add to operational costs because additionalpharmacist time is required to fill the prescription requests.Furthermore, the physician must interrupt scheduled patient examinationsin order to contact the pharmacy and submit the prescription request.There are other times, for example, when it is more convenient for aphysician to designate a predetermined time interval to contact apharmacy and submit multiple prescription requests. Although convenientto the physician, such a solution may not be beneficial to thepharmacist.

No solution currently exists to address these problems; namely,providing a cost-effective and efficient way to submit an audibleprescription request. There exist, however, various methods and systemsthat address other prescription related needs of physicians andpharmacists.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,370, incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference thereto, discloses an automated method for fillingdrug prescriptions. The method attempts to verify a match between thedoctor's prescription form and the drug selected from the pharmacy'sinventory to fill the prescription. While effective at ensuring that theproper drug has been dispensed, the method of the '370 patent does notaddress the problems associated with submitting prescription requestsand processing the prescriptions for use by patients.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,462, incorporated herein in its entirety byreference thereto, discloses an on-line pharmacy automated refillsystem. The '462 patent provides a limited ability to receive andprocess certain prescription information over the telephone. However,the system disclosed in the '462 patent is limited in use to refills ofprescriptions. There is no ability to submit an original prescriptionrequest or make changes to the therapy during refill, as these actionsrequire intervention from a physician.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,492, incorporated herein in its entirety byreference thereto, discloses a flexible computer based pharmaceuticalcare cognitive services management system and method. The system of the'492 patent provides various benefits to physicians and pharmacists.However, it does not address certain problems associated with processingprescription requests such as processing new prescriptions.

In addition, existing systems, while capable of addressing numerousprescription-related needs, simply do not provide a cost-effective andefficient ability to submit and process specialized prescriptionrequests such as, for example, audible prescription requests.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a prescription processing networkcapable of receiving specialized prescription requests such as audibleprescription requests.

There also exists a need for a prescription processing network thataccepts audible changes in prescription therapy.

There exists a further need for a prescription processing network whichallows a physician to conveniently submit audible prescription requests.

There exists a still further need for a prescription processing networkcapable of receiving audible prescription requests without interruptinga pharmacist from preparing existing prescriptions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one feature and advantage of the present invention toaddress at least some of the shortcomings of the prior art in receivingand processing prescription requests.

It is another optional feature and advantage of the present invention toprovide a prescription processing network capable of receivingspecialized prescription requests, such as audible, facsimile, and emailprescription requests.

It is yet another optional feature and advantage of the presentinvention to provide a prescription processing network that acceptschanges in prescription therapy.

It is a further optional feature and advantage of the present inventionto provide a prescription processing network which allows a physician orqualified personnel to conveniently submit prescription requests invarious forms and using various devices such as, audible, facsimile,email, etc.

It is a still further optional feature and advantage of the presentinvention to provide a prescription processing network capable ofreceiving prescription requests in various formats without interruptinga pharmacist from the preparation existing prescriptions.

The foregoing, and various other needs, are addressed, at least in part,by the present invention, wherein a prescription processing networkreceives specialized prescription requests, such as audible, facsimile,or email prescription requests for efficient processing by a pharmacist,or personnel capable of independently assessing correctness of theprescription request, at a convenient or predetermined time.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of processingprescription requests is provided. The method comprises the steps of:establishing a connection to a remotely located prescription processingsystem; submitting a prescription request to the prescription processingsystem; preparing, by personnel capable of independently assessingcorrectness of the prescription request, a completed prescription formbased on the submitted audible prescription request; sending thecompleted prescription form to a filling pharmacy; and filling theprescription request, at the filling pharmacy, based on the completedprescription form.

Such a method has an advantage of improving the efficiency of aphysician's clinic and/or a pharmacist's ability to prepare prescriptionrequests. Thus, cost savings can be realized. For example, a physiciandoes not have to interrupt scheduled patient examinations in order toprepare prescription requests. Instead, the physician can simply selecta convenient time to submit one or more prescription requests. Inaddition, the pharmacist does not have to interrupt the preparation of aprescription in order to receive a new prescription request from thephysician. Hence, prescriptions can be prepared more efficiently andwith less likelihood of error because the pharmacist can workuninterrupted. Furthermore, there are times when the physician is unableto reach the pharmacist in order to submit the prescription request. Thepresent invention eliminates, or at least reduces, the amount of timeconsumed by the physician while trying to reach the pharmacist.

The present invention optionally provides an ability to submit theprescription request in various formats. The submitted prescriptionrequest can be in an audible form using, for example, a conventionaltelephone, a mobile telephone, or a microphone operatively coupled to acomputer. The mobile telephone can be either cellular, digital,satellite, etc. The submitted prescription request can optionally be inthe form of an electronic mail or data received from a mobile devicesuch as a two-way pager or personal digital assistant (PDA).Furthermore, the prescription form may be completed by variousindividuals. More particularly, the prescription form may be completed,for example, by a pharmacist, a medical doctor, a licensed physicianassistant, etc. who is capable of reviewing the prescription request toindependently interpret its content and assess its correctness.

According to an optional feature or aspect of the present invention, theprescription request is captured and subsequently transcribed before thepharmacist prepares the completed prescription form. Furthermore, thecaptured prescription request can be converted to a digitized format andstored in a database of the prescription processing system. Thedigitized format can correspond to various formats including, forexample, ASCII, formatted text, Microsoft™ Word™, WordPerfect™, standardfacsimile formats, standard wireless transmission formats, etc.Additionally, the digitized format can optionally correspond to standarddigitized audio formats such as the “.wav” format. Such a configurationprovides the flexibility of maintaining records of prescription requeststhat are received by the prescription processing system. Also, thedigitized prescription request can be easily transmitted to differentindividuals using, for example, electronic mail (email) systems. Thiscan allow verification of the transcription based on the originalprescription request.

Another optional feature of the present invention requires that theperson submitting the prescription request (e.g., the physician or otherqualified personnel) be prompted to submit certain information. This caninclude, for example, information regarding the physician, the memberwhose insurance carrier providing coverage for the prescription, and thepatient receiving the prescription. The physician information caninclude the physician's name, office address and telephone number, andDEA number. The member information can include the member's name,address, and insurance identification number. The patient informationcan include the patient's name, age, medical condition, othermedications being taken, etc. Hence, the present invention allows forsignificantly more detailed information than can be written on aconventional prescription form. One advantage of such an embodiment isthat the detailed information can allow multiple personnel to review theprescription request in order to minimize possible adverse druginteractions, allergic reactions, etc.

Other optional aspects of the present invention allow the physician toindicate whether or not the prescription request is a renewal. Thus, itwould not be necessary to repeat all of the details of the prescriptionrequest. Rather, the physician could simply submit the originalprescription number. The present invention also allows the physician tochange the medication therapy for the patient. For example, depending onprior consultation, the physician may decide to reduce or increase thedosage of a particular medication.

According to another optional embodiment of the present invention, amethod is provided for submitting a prescription request and allowing apatient (or authorized personnel) to retrieve a filled prescriptionbased on the prescription request. The method comprises the steps of:initiating a connection to a remotely located prescription processingsystem; submitting a prescription request to the prescription processingsystem; and retrieving, by the patient, a filled prescription from apredetermined filling pharmacy remotely located from the prescriptionprocessing system. According to such a method, a physician can submitone or more prescription requests without having to interrupt scheduledpatient examinations or directly contacting a pharmacist.

According to another optional embodiment of the present invention, amethod is provided for processing a submitted prescription request. Themethod comprises the steps of: receiving a request from a remote sourceto establish a connection with a local prescription processing system;establishing a connection with the remote source; receiving aprescription request; preparing, by personnel capable of independentlyassessing correctness of the prescription request, a completedprescription form based on the prescription request; and sending thecompleted prescription form to a filling pharmacy to be filled. Itshould be noted that the request to establish a connection can take manyforms, including a telephone ring that must be answered, an emailmessage that must be acknowledged, etc. Such an embodiment allows thepharmacist to efficiently prepare prescriptions without interruptionsfrom a physician to receive new prescription requests. Accordingly,overall efficiency can be improved while reducing possible errors.

According to another optional embodiment of the present invention, aprescription processing network is provided. The prescription processingnetwork includes a prescription processing system and a communicationdevice remotely located from the prescription processing system. Thecommunication device is used to establish a communication channel withthe prescription processing system and submit a prescription requestover the communication channel. A pharmacist, associated with theprescription processing system, prepares a completed prescription formbased, at least in part, on the submitted prescription request. Theprescription processing network also includes a pharmacy for receivingthe completed prescription form, and filling the prescription requestbased on the completed prescription form. Such a prescription processingnetwork can improve both the efficiency of a physician's clinic and apharmacist's ability to prepare prescription requests. The physician canselect a convenient time and submit one or more prescription requestswithout interrupting the pharmacist from preparing other prescriptions.

According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, a methodis provided for submitting a prescription request wherein a filledprescription can be subsequently retrieved by a patient. A connection isfirst initiated to a remotely located prescription processing system.Next, an audible prescription request is submitted to the prescriptionprocessing system. The patient subsequently retrieves a filledprescription from a predetermined filling pharmacy remotely located fromthe prescription processing system. Such a method provides an efficientmanner of submitting prescription requests.

According to another optional embodiment of the present invention, amethod is provided for processing a submitted prescription request. Alocal prescription processing system establishes a connection with aremote source upon receiving a request from the remote source toestablish a connection. An audible prescription request is then receivedby the prescription processing system. A pharmacist, or other personnelcapable of independently assessing correctness of the prescriptionrequest, prepares a completed prescription form based, at leastpartially, on the audible prescription request. Finally, the completedprescription form is sent to a remotely located pharmacy to be filled.Such a method eliminates, or at least minimizes, interruptions to thepharmacist who will ultimately prepare the prescription.

Another optional embodiment of the present invention provides a methodof processing prescription requests wherein a connection is establishedto a remotely located system and an audible prescription request issubmitted to the remotely located system. A pharmacist, or personnelcapable of independently assessing correctness of the prescriptionrequest, prepares a completed prescription form based, at leastpartially, on the submitted prescription request. The completedprescription form is then sent to a pharmacy where it is filled, basedon the completed prescription form. The prescription request canoptionally be provided in electronic form instead of audible form. Forexample, the prescription request can be in the form of a facsimiletransmission, email transmission, wireless device transmission,electronic data transmission, etc.

According to another optional embodiment of the present invention, aprescription processing network includes a prescription processingsystem and a communication device remotely located from the prescriptionprocessing system. The communication device is useable for establishinga communication channel with the prescription processing system andsubmitting a prescription request over the communication channel. Theprescription processing system is accessible by a pharmacist, orpersonnel capable of independently assessing correctness of theprescription request, in order to prepare a completed prescription formbased, at least in part, on the submitted prescription request. Thecompleted prescription form is then sent to a pharmacy where theprescription request can be filled based on the completed prescriptionform.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention and several, but not all, embodiments in orderthat the detailed description thereof that follows may be betterunderstood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of theinvention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

These, together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a prescription processing networkaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram generally illustrating how prescriptionrequests are processed;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram generally illustrating the steps performed bythe prescription processing system;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart detailing the steps performed when processingprescription requests;

FIGS. 5A-5E are a flow diagram illustrating how prescription requestsare processed according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 6A-6D are a flow diagram illustrating an alternativeimplementation of the prescription processing system of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 7A-7C are a flow diagram illustrating an another implementation ofthe prescription processing system of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating another embodiment of the presentinvention for processing prescription requests;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a sample prescription fax form that can beused with certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10A is a flow diagram illustrating renewal of prescription requestsaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10B is a flow diagram illustrating the processing of newprescription requests according to another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of a computer system and telephone networksuitable for use in implementing and/or assisting in implementing thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a computer type suitable for implementing and/orassisting in implementation the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the conceptual flow of the computerassisted process in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is an exemplary memory medium which can be used with thecomputer illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference now will be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention. Such embodiments are provided by way ofexplanation of the invention, which is not intended to be limitedthereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate uponreading the present specification and viewing the present drawings thatvarious modifications and variations can be made.

For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodimentcan be used on other embodiments to yield a still further embodiment.Additionally, certain features may be interchanged with similar devicesor features not mentioned yet which perform the same or similarfunctions. It is therefore intended that such modifications andvariations are included within the totality of the present invention.

Prior to describing the details of the invention, a brief discussion ofsome of the notations and nomenclature used in the description will bepresented. Next, a description of exemplary hardware useable inpracticing the invention will be presented.

Notations and Nomenclature

The detailed descriptions which follow may be presented in terms ofprogram procedures executed on a computer or network of computers. Theseprocedural descriptions and representations are the means used by thoseskilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of theirwork to others skilled in the art.

A procedure is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistentsequence of steps leading to a desired result. These steps are thoserequiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, thoughnot necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical ormagnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined,compared and otherwise manipulated. It proves convenient at times,principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals asbits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or thelike. It should be noted, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

Further, the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms,such as adding or comparing, which are commonly associated with mentaloperations performed by a human operator. No such capability of a humanoperator is necessary, or desirable in most cases, in any of theoperations described herein which form part of the present invention;the operations are preferably machine operations, although theoperations may also be manual in alternative embodiments. Usefulmachines for performing the operation of the present invention includegeneral purpose digital computers or similar devices.

The present invention also relates to apparatus for performing theseoperations. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the requiredpurpose or it may include a general purpose computer as selectivelyactivated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer.The procedures presented herein are not inherently related to aparticular computer or other apparatus. Various general purpose machinesmay be used with programs written in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove more convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structurefor a variety of these machines will appear from the description given.

Prescription Processing Network

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardwareconfiguration for a prescription processing network (PPN) 100 accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. The prescription processingnetwork 100 includes a prescription processing system (PPS) 110 thatreceives and processes prescription requests using various standardequipment. The prescription requests can be in various forms including,but not limited to, voice (e.g., audible), facsimile, email, data and/orvoice from a wireless/mobile device such as a mobile phone, two-waypager, personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. For example, if theprescription request is in audible form, processing can be handled viastandard voice response units, and the like. As used herein,prescription requests refer to the information submitted by a physician112 to identify a particular medication and dosage for a patient 114.During the course of regular medical consultation, patients 114 interactwith his or her physician 112 in order to diagnose and possibly considervarious treatment options where necessary. Frequently, the selectedtreatment requires use of prescribed medications and/or narcotics. Themedication is not maintained at the physician's office, although, thereare times when promotional samples may be available. Physicians can alsomaintain a supply of certain common drugs for immediate dispensing.

According to the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the physician112 does not prepare a traditional prescription form that must be takento a filling pharmacy, such as local pharmacy 116, by the patient 114.As previously discussed, such a procedure can be costly and very timeconsuming. Rather, the physician 112 submits an audible prescriptionrequest directly to the prescription processing system 110. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, there are, for example, two options forsubmitting the prescription request. It should be noted, however, thatthe two options shown in FIG. 1 are only exemplary, and various otherarrangements can be used to submit prescription request by the physician112. For example, electronic systems such as facsimile devices orcomputer controlled peripherals can be used. In the description thatfollows, the prescription request will be frequently referred to as anaudible prescription request. This is merely intended to assist inunderstanding the exemplary embodiment being described. As previouslyindicated, the prescription request can be in various formats.Furthermore, according to other embodiments of the invention, it may notbe necessary for the physician 112 to submit the audible prescriptionrequest. Rather, arrangements can be made to have authorized personnelsubmit the audible prescription request instead of the physician 112.

For example, the physician 112 can write traditional prescriptionsforms, while the authorized personnel submit multiple audibleprescription requests to the prescription processing network 100, basedon the prescriptions forms written by the physician 112. Such anarrangement has an advantage of minimizing the number of interruptionsto both the physician 112 and the pharmacist, thus contributing toimproved efficiency. Furthermore, prescription requests can be submittedvia facsimile to the prescription processing system 110. Additionalembodiments utilizing a facsimile will be described in greater detailhereinbelow. Again, it should be appreciated that the physician computer122 and facsimile device represent different devices for transmittingthe prescription request electronically. Accordingly, various othertypes of electronic communication devices can be used to transmit theprescription request.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, thephysician 112 has an option of connecting to the prescription processingsystem 110 using a regular telephone, such as physician telephone 118.Using this process, a connection is established over the local, or otherappropriate, telephone network 120. As is well known, such a processrequires dialing the telephone number corresponding to the prescriptionprocessing system 110. Once connected, the physician 112 verballysubmits the audible prescription request.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, the physician 112 can submit theprescription request through a conventional computer (e.g., desktop,laptop, workstation, terminal, etc.), such as physician computer 122.According to such an embodiment, the physician computer 122 would benecessarily equipped with an appropriate voice input device (not shown)and communication hardware/software to establish a connection over apacket-switched network such as the Internet 124. It should also benoted that the network connection need not be packet-switched. Anyappropriate data transfer protocol/interface (e.g., Kermit, X-modem,serial, USB, TCP/IP, etc.) can be used. The connection to the Internet124 can be established in many ways, including through the use of amodem (not shown) that establishes a connection to a local Internetservice provider (ISP) (not shown) over the telephone network 120. Thus,data can pass through both the Internet 124 and the telephone network120. Furthermore, as previously indicated, various other devices suchas, for example, a PDA, facsimile, two-way pager, or mobile/wirelesstelephone can be optionally used by the physician to submit theprescription request.

The prescription processing system 110 includes various standardhardware and software for establishing a connection with the physician112. For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention,the prescription processing system 110 can include a standard PPStelephone 126 and a standard PPS computer 128 configured withappropriate hardware and software to implement the present invention.The prescription processing system 110 can also include a database 130,a header entry agent 132, and an in-house pharmacist 134. The database130 can be used to store and provide access to information whileprocessing the prescription request. The header entry agent 132 verifiesat least some of the data received and stored in the database 130. Thein-house pharmacist 134 also verifies some of the data stored in thedatabase 130 and prepares an actual prescription form. As previouslystated, the PPS telephone 126 and PPS computer 128 are used to maintainthe connection established by the physician 112 in order to receive theaudible, or facsimile, prescription request.

While FIG. 1 illustrates a single database 130, PPS computer 128, PPStelephone 126, header entry agent 132, and in-house pharmacist 134, itshould be noted that these are not limitations to the prescriptionprocessing system 110. Rather, multiple components of each can beprovided to function as a whole subpart of the prescription processingsystem 110. In other words, many individual databases can be integratedto function as the database 130 illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, theprescription processing system 110 can include many individual PPStelephones 126, many header entry agents 132, many in-house pharmacists134, etc.

In connection with the specific embodiment of the invention beingimplemented, various additional options are also available. For example,a telephone coupled to an appropriate standard voice messaging system(not shown) can be used to receive the call and guide the physician 112through a series of menus. The menus can be accessed, or navigated,using a touch tone telephone keypad. Further embodiments of theinvention provide an ability to incorporate voice response capabilitiesto the voice messaging system. Thus, the menus could be navigated usingvoice commands/responses from the physician 112. As the physician 112 isguided through the menus, the voice messaging system would prompt thephysician 112 to input (e.g., speak, transmit, etc.) all necessaryinformation, and record the information (either in digital or analogformat) for later processing. Additionally, embodiments of the inventioncan include real-time lookup capabilities that retrieve informationwhile receiving input from the physician 112. For example, when thephysician begins to submit information regarding a patient 114, thepatient's data file is retrieved as soon as a positive match can be madeto the patient 114. This can be done in various ways including, forexample, real-time (and possibly repetitive) query submissions to thedatabase 130 based on incremental information (e.g., query terms)received from the physician 112.

Alternatively, the PPS computer 128 can be used to maintain theconnection with the physician's computer 122, and the prescriptionrequest would be transmitted in the form of packetized data.Furthermore, the PPS computer 128 can be coupled to the PPS telephone126 in place of the voice messaging system in order to guide thephysician 112 through the appropriate menus for collecting informationnecessary to prepare the prescription. More particularly, the physician112 may submit the audible prescription request through a microphone(not shown) attached to the physician computer 122. Other physicianrequests may alternatively be accommodated as well, such as email,facsimile, and wireless/mobile transmission devices including cellulartelephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Appropriatesoftware can be used to convert the audible prescription request from ananalog to a digital format. The digital format would thus represent adigitized prescription request. The digitized prescription request couldthen be segmented and transmitted to the PPS computer 128 as packetizeddata (i.e., data packets).

Regardless, of the manner in which the prescription request is receivedat the prescription processing system 110, it is converted to adigitized format (i.e., a digitized prescription request). It should beappreciated that no conversion is necessary when the PPS computer 128receives the prescription request in a packet format. Such digitizedformats include for example, ASCII, formatted text, Microsoft® Word,WordPerfect® standard facsimile formats, standard wireless transmissionformats, etc. Additionally, the digitized format can optionallycorrespond to standard digitized audio formats such as the waveform(.wav) digital sound format supported by various operating systems. Inaddition, if the prescription request is received in packet format,appropriate data manipulation must be performed to reassemble the datapackets and recover the original information.

According to one embodiment of the invention, an identification file canbe created for the digitized prescription request. The identificationfile is preferably in the form of an ASCII, or text, file that stores,in part, identification data for the digitized prescription request. Theidentification file can include, for example, an existing prescriptionnumber and/or a member identification number. The identification filecan also be used to provide quick and convenient access to prescriptionrequests without the need to decode the digitized data.

In addition to the foregoing, the database 130 can be configured in manystandard ways. For example, one exemplary database 130 configuration caninclude software that is running on the PPS computer 128 and storingdata on a mass storage device, such as a magnetic disk drive, opticaldisk drive, CD-ROM, DVD, or other appropriate storage media.Alternatively, the database 130 can be part of a dedicated or standalone system (e.g., a database system) that is operatively coupled tothe PPS computer 128 and used principally for storing data, includingthe prescription files, while also allowing retrieval of the same databy the PPS computer 128. According to such an arrangement, appropriatehardware and software would be provided to interconnect the databasesystem and the PPS computer 128.

While FIG. 1 illustrates the prescription processing system 110 asincluding various components incorporated into one, or physicallylocated within close proximity of each other, it should be noted thatthe individual components need not be located in the same physicallocation. Rather, individual components can be located in remotelocations and configured to interface and interact with each other overvarious communication network such as the Internet, a private network,etc. For example, a database 130 can be provided in a remote physicallocation while the header entry agent 132 and PPS computer 128 establisha connection over the Internet in order to store and retrieve data.Similarly, the in-house pharmacist 134 can be at a different physicallocation from the database 130, the header entry agent 132, etc.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated inFIG. 1, the header entry agent 132 accesses the digitized prescriptionrequest stored in the database 130. General information contained in thedigitized prescription request is transcribed into, for example, aprintable or file format or other format. The general information refersto non-medication related information such as the member's name andidentification number, information regarding the physician 112 andpatient 114, etc. The header entry agent 132 can also, for example,transcribe the general information to a file that can be saved on thePPS computer 128. In essence, the transcription can be in any formatthat can be retrieved, read, or printed.

The header entry agent 132 can access the digitized prescription requesteither directly through the PPS computer 128, or using a terminaloperatively coupled to either the database 130 or the PPS computer 128.It should be noted that access to the digitized prescription requestthrough the PPS computer 128 entails processing the digitizedprescription file in order to decipher or parse its contents. If theprescription request is submitted via facsimile, then the header entryagent 132 preferably retrieves the general information from thefacsimile printout rather than the digitized prescription request.

Furthermore, the header entry agent 132 can be in the form of a personor an intelligent software program. As an intelligent software program,the header entry agent 132 can be configured to automatically retrievedigitized prescription requests from the database 130 at regular timeintervals or when a certain number of digitized prescription requestshave been received and stored by the prescription processing system 110.According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the computerizedheader entry agent 132 can be in the form of a program that accesses adigitized prescription request, processes the digitized prescriptionrequest, and performs voice recognition techniques to convert part ofthe digital audio file to a text or other formatted data file. If aperson performs the task of the header entry agent 132, then thedigitized prescription request is simply processed and transcribed in aconventional manner (i.e., providing an audio output of the digitizedprescription request and transcribing its content).

Once the general information has been transcribed, the digitizedprescription request is forwarded to, or accessed by, an in-housepharmacist 134 associated with the prescription processing network 100.The in-house pharmacist 134 reviews the digitized prescription requestand transcribes prescription-related information contained therein.Accordingly, the in-house pharmacist 134 or other individual, medicalpersonnel and the like, that is authorized and has the necessary skillsto independently write a prescription does not have to focus onreviewing the general information. The in-house pharmacist 134 uses thetranscribed prescription-related information to prepare a completedprescription form that contains all the information necessary to preparethe medication (or prescription). If the prescription request issubmitted via facsimile, then the in-house pharmacist 134 reviews thefacsimile printout and retrieves prescription-related information inorder to prepare the completed prescription form. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the in-house pharmacist 134 canlisten to the digitized prescription request and double check thegeneral information transcribed by the header entry agent 132. Such aprocess can improve the accuracy of prescriptions processed by theprescription processing system 110.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the completed prescriptionform is then transmitted or forwarded to a predetermined fillingpharmacy (e.g., a local pharmacy 116) within the vicinity of the patient114. The local pharmacy 116 can be selected based on relative locationto the patient 114, preferred locations, etc. Alternatively, the fillingpharmacy where the completed prescription form is transmitted, orforwarded, can be a regional pharmacy 138 associated with theprescription processing system 110. Once received at the predeterminedfilling pharmacy, a local pharmacist 140 fills the prescription based,in part, on information contained in the completed prescription form.Finally, the patient 114 visits the local pharmacy 116 and retrieves themedication (e.g., the filled prescription). If a regional pharmacy 140is used, then the filled prescription can be mailed, or otherwisedelivered, to the patient 114.

The disclosed prescription processing network 100 can incorporatevarious techniques in order to prevent, or at least minimize, fraud. Forexample, if open (i.e., public) communication networks are used, variousencryption/decryption techniques can be used during transmission inorder to ensure security, or at least minimize possible breaches insecurity. In addition, security protocols such as the SSL protocol foundin most conventional web browsers can be used. Various othermethodologies such as security tokens and/or secure portals can also beused. The present invention can also be configured to provide internalsafeguards for protecting data and privacy. For example, the database130 can be configured such that it stores unique information regarding,for example, the physician 112 or medical establishment. Suchinformation can include unique passwords, telephone numbers, etc. Theinformation would be collected as part of an initial (or application)phase before, prescription requests will be accepted. When a newprescription request is received by the prescription processing system110, the physician 112 (or user) would be prompted to submit his or herpassword, telephone number, etc. Alternatively, the physician 112 canuse his or her assigned DEA number for identification/security purposesinstead of a password or the like. Either or all of theseidentification/security numbers and/or passwords can be used to definepredetermined relationships, or criteria, for verifying the physician'sidentity.

Furthermore, appropriate hardware and software can be integrated intothe PPS telephone 126 in order to capture the telephone number e.g.ANI—automatic number identification and/or DNI—destination numberidentification from an incoming call (e.g., similar to current “callerID” features) and associate it with the prescription request. When theheader entry agent 132 transcribes the general information, thepassword, telephone number, etc. submitted by the physician 112 arecompared to what is currently stored on the database 130 in order toidentify a predetermined relationship. The predetermined relationshipcan correspond, for example, to a match between the informationsubmitted by the physician and the information stored on the database130. According to an optional feature, the ANI can be used toautomatically identify the caller's location and/or calling number. Thepredetermined relationship would then correspond to a match between thecaller's location and/or calling number and the information (e.g.,calling or telephone number) stored on the database 130. If there is adiscrepancy or the predetermined relationship is not satisfied, then theheader entry agent 132 would contact the physician's office to indicatethe problem and determine if someone was fraudulently trying to submitthe prescription request. Such header information may optionally beencrypted as well.

Security precautions can also be taken if the prescription requests aresubmitted via facsimile. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, prior to submitting the prescription request, the physician112 must contact the prescription processing system 110 and indicatethat he or she would like to submit a prescription request. Next, thephysician 112 must submit his or her facsimile number. The prescriptionprocessing system 110 then establishes as a separate connection to thephysician's facsimile machine and transmits a prescription request formthat includes a facsimile number for the prescription processing system110. The physician 112 supplies all the necessary information requiredby the prescription request form including, at least, informationrequired to fill the prescription. The completed prescription requestform would then be transmitted back to the prescription processingsystem 110 via facsimile.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the prescriptionprocessing network 100 can be configured for mail order processing.According to such an embodiment the in-house pharmacist 134 transcribesprescription related information and prepares a prescription form. Theprescription form can then be filled by the in-house pharmacist 134 andmailed to the patient 114. Alternatively, the prescription form can betransmitted to a central or regional pharmacy 138 (or other location) ofwith the prescription processing network 100. One or more localpharmacists 140 would be available to fill received prescription forms.The filled prescriptions would then be mailed to patients 114 from thecentral or regional pharmacy 138.

Processing Prescription Requests

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that generally illustrates the methodology forprocessing prescription requests according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention. The process begins at step S10, where thephysician or other medical personnel/clinician connects to theprescription processing system. As previously indicated, this can beaccomplished using, for example, a telephone connection or a computerconnection. The physician submits an audible prescription request atstep S12. The in-house pharmacist, or other medical personnel (includinga medical doctor) capable of independently writing a prescription,prepares a prescription form based, at least partially, on the audibleprescription request or other request that can be securely transmittedby the physician but possibly requiring independent review/verificationat step S14. The prescription form is then sent to the filling pharmacyor optionally other location capable of independently writing aprescription and at step S16. It should be noted that the pharmacydiscussed at step S16 can also be the local, regional, or centralpharmacy discussed above. At step S18, the local pharmacist reviews thereceived prescription form, independently verifies it, and fills theprescription. At step S20, the patient visits the filling pharmacy inorder to retrieve the filled prescription. Alternatively, if a centralor regional pharmacy is used, then the filled prescription is mailed orotherwise delivered to the patient after performing step S18. At stepS22, the prescription request is closed.

It should be noted, that step S22 is not mandatory for operation of theprescription processing network. In other word, there is no need toclose the prescription request. Furthermore, where the prescriptionrequest is optionally closed, such a step need not be performed afterthe patient picks up the medication. Rather, such a step can beperformed, for example, once the prescription form has been sent to thefilling pharmacy. Alternatively, such a step can be performed once thefilling pharmacy has confirmed receipt of the prescription form. As canbe seen from the above examples, various alternatives exist forspecifically implementing step S22.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram which illustrates the steps performed by theprescription processing system after a connection has been establishedwith the physician. At step S30 the prescription request submitted bythe physician is captured by the prescription processing system. Theprescription request can be captured using various well known formats,or systems, for recording information from a telephone or otherappropriate communication source or other communication data from thephysician or medical personnel. The captured prescription request isconverted to a digitized prescription requestor other suitable digitalrepresentation as appropriate/needed at step S32. In the event the datacommunicated is already in digital format, no conversion is necessary.As previously indicated, the digitized prescription request representsan analog to digital conversion of the audible prescription requestsubmitted by the physician. At step S34, an identification file or otherstandard way of creating or attaching an identification is created forthe digitized prescription request. The identification file contains, inpart, identification data associated with the prescription such as anexisting prescription number or a member ID.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, once the member IDis received, the prescription processing system can retrieve formularyand/or prescription coverage information for the member. The formularyinformation identifies particular medications and terms for insurancecoverage. The formulary information can be optionally used to dictatethe medication choices available to the physician when submitting aprescription request. For example, a physician may not be able torequest a particular brand name drug. Instead a generic version wouldhave to be prescribed. In other situations, the formulary can indicatethat a particular drug is not acceptable to treat an illness. Thephysician would then prescribe an acceptable substitute to treat theillness.

At step S36, the identification file or data is merged with thedigitized or other prescription request. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the two files are concatenated and stored as partof an archived file. Alternatively, the identification file and thedigitized prescription request can be assigned the same name, but withdifferent extensions that identify the particular file type, in order todisplay the common relationship. At step S38, the concatenated files, orindividual files for the prescription request, are saved to thedatabase.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart which details the steps performed whileprocessing prescription requests. At step S50, a connection isestablished to the prescription processing system. As previously stated,the physician or medical personnel, nurse, and the like, will typicallybe the person establishing the connection, although other qualified orlicensed medical personnel or administrators can establish theconnection and submit information for the physician. The connection canalso be established in a variety of ways. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the connection is established over a conventionaltelephone line. Other embodiments, for example, can allow connectionusing a computer system, with or without a conventional telephoneconnection. It should be noted that various other connection types,including optical, wireless, or satellite can also be used.

At step S52, preliminary, or general, information is submitted. Thepreliminary information is used to identify, for example, the subscriber(e.g., physician or other medical personnel) and/or insuranceinformation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, thesubscriber information can be used to identify a physician office,hospital, etc. For example, the subscriber information can include thephysician's name, office address, and office telephone number. Theinsurance information pertains to the particular insurance carrierproviding coverage for the prescription costs, and can be obtained fromthe member's identification card. In addition, information regarding theuser can also be requested. The user information can include, forexample, the name of the person submitting the prescription request andhis or her affiliation with the physician or medical establishment. Ifthe physician is submitting the prescription request, then it may not benecessary to further submit user information.

At step S54, it is determined whether the prescription request is for anentirely new prescription. If the prescription request is for a newprescription, then control passes to step S60. If the prescriptionrequest is not for a new prescription, then control passes to step S56.At step S56, it is determined whether the prescription request is for arenewal (i.e., renewing an existing prescription). If the prescriptionrequest is not for a renewal, then the process ends. If the prescriptionrequest is for a renewal, then at step S58 it is determined whetherthere is an existing prescription number. The prescription number canrefer to, for example, the twelve digit identification number printed onthe prescription form. If there is no existing prescription number, thencontrol passes to step S60 where member information must be submitted.Typically, the member ID number printed on the insurance card issufficient for satisfying this query. According to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, if there is no member ID number onthe insurance card, then at step S60, the member's name and address issubmitted.

At step S62, information regarding the patient who will be taking themedication is submitted. The patient information can include, forexample, the patient's name, address, date of birth, sex, existingmedical conditions, etc. In addition, the patient information caninclude existing medication being taken by the patient, thereby avoidingadverse interactions between different medications.

At step S64 information regarding the medication is submitted. Themedication information can include, for example, the name of themedication, the strength of the medication, and the dosage that shouldbe taken by the patient. Furthermore, the medication information caninclude an indication as to whether or not generic versions of themedication can be used, or if brand name medication must be used.Depending on the specific implementation of the invention, additionalinformation regarding the prescription can be submitted. Moreparticularly, the prescription information is not limited to theinformation described above. Rather, any information relating to theprescription and/or medication can be submitted. At step S66, theprescription request is replayed, displayed, or transmitted to or forthe user in order to obtain confirmation that all the information wasaccurately submitted.

Returning again to step S58, if there is an existing prescriptionnumber, the system prompts the user to submit the existing prescriptionnumber. At step S70 it is determined whether there is a change intherapy for the patient. If there is a change in therapy, then newmedication information regarding the prescribed medication and/or dosageis submitted at step S22. The new medication information refers to thespecific changes that the physician determines necessary for treatingthe patient. Once the new medication information has been submitted theprescription request is again replayed or displayed. If there is nochange in therapy, however, control passes to step S66 where theprescription request is replayed. At step S74, it is determined whetherthe prescription request contains all of the information desired by thephysician or user. If all the information is correct and satisfactory,then control passes to step S76.

At step S76, the user is prompted to indicate whether he or she wouldlike to submit another prescription request. If another prescriptionrequest will be submitted, then control returns to step S52. If it isdetermined at step S74 that the prescription request is inaccurate orunsatisfactory, then control passes to step S78 where the prescriptionrequest is cancelled. The process subsequently ends. Additionally, ifthe user will not submit an additional prescription request at step S76,then the process also ends.

FIGS. 5A-5E are flow diagrams illustrating how prescription requests areprocessed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.The process begins at step S110 where the caller, physician, orappropriate personnel, establishes a connection with the prescriptionprocessing system. Once the connection is established, the caller isgreeted with a message identifying the prescription processing system.At step S112, an optional message indicating that prescriptions forcontrolled medications cannot be accepted via the prescriptionprocessing system is played for the physician.

Next, the caller is asked whether he or she is renewing an existingprescription or requesting a new prescription. If the caller is renewinga prescription, he or she can select this option by either saying theword “1”, or pressing the “1” key on the telephone keypad. To submit anew prescription, the caller can either say the word “2” or press thenumber “2” on the telephone keypad. At step S114, the prescriptionprocessing system examines the physician's input. If a new prescriptionis being submitted, then control passes to block A. Alternatively, if arequest to renew a prescription is being submitted, then the caller isprompted to submit his or her origination or calling number.Alternatively, if the appropriate standard equipment is available,automatic number identification (ANI) can be automatically provided forthe calling number. If an authorized personnel other than the physicianis placing the call, then he or she must provide the physician'stelephone number. Again, the number can be submitted either verbally, orthrough the use of the numeric keypad on the telephone. Once submitted,the telephone number is inserted into an ASCII file.

At step S118, the caller is prompted to say his or her full name andoptionally official title. Preferably, the pound (#) key can be pressedto provide an indication that the caller has finished saying therequested information. Alternatively, it should be noted that theprescription processing system can be configured to detect when thecaller has completed saying the information based on a predeterminedperiod of vocal inactivity. As the caller is saying the requestedinformation, the prescription processing system automatically recordsthe information. At step S120, the caller is prompted to say theprescribing physician's full name, telephone number, and office address.At step S122, the caller is prompted to enter the member ID number. Aspreviously indicated, the member ID number generally corresponds to theidentification number assigned to the member by the insurance provider.The caller is also given an option to bypass this step if he or she doesnot know the member ID number.

At step S124, the caller is prompted to enter the 12 digit number of theprescription that is to be renewed. If the caller is unaware of theprescription number, then control passes to block B. Otherwise, theprescription number is recorded and the process continues onto block 2.At step S126, the caller says the full name and date of birth of thepatient. At step S128, the caller says the patient's mailing address.After the patient's name, date of birth, and mailing address have beensubmitted and recorded, the prescription number is entered into theASCII file at step S130. At step S132, the caller is prompted toindicate whether or not there will be a change in therapy for theprescription being renewed. If there is a change in therapy, the callercan either say the word yes or press the “1” key on the telephone pad.If, on the other hand, there is no change in therapy, then the callercan say the word “no” or press the “2” key on the telephone pad. Achange in therapy transfers control to block C, while no change intherapy allows the process to continue to step S134.

At step S134, the caller is informed that the prescription will berenewed. Furthermore, the prescription processing system will replay theprescription number for the caller in order to obtain confirmation thatthe proper prescription will be renewed. The caller must still providean input that is indicative of whether or not he or she would like toconfirm renewal of the prescription, or cancel the current prescriptionrenewal. If the transaction is to be cancelled, then control passes toblock D. Otherwise, if the prescription will be renewed, then controlpasses to step S136. At step S136, the physician ANI number, the memberinformation, the prescription information, and all of the recordedinputs are bundled into a single file. As previously stated, all of theinformation submitted by the caller is digitally recorded and stored asa data file. Furthermore, various formatting conventions can be used increating the digital audio files. The information can be then bundledusing, for example, and archiving software that merges all of thedifferent files into a single archive. Once the bundled file has beencreated, the caller is directed to the closings process at step S138.Furthermore, after directing the caller to the closings process, theinformation obtained by the prescription processing system is stored ona network drive, or database, where it can be subsequently accessed bythe prescription processing system and various personnel.

Returning to step S114, if the caller had elected to submit a newprescription, control would have passed to block A. At this point, stepS140 is performed. The caller is asked to submit (e.g., say) thephysician's telephone number, and the telephone number is inputted to anASCII file or other manner of transmitting information specificallycreated for the current prescription request. At step S142, the calleris prompted to say his or her full name and office title. At step S144,the caller says the prescribing physician's full name, phone number, andoffice number. At step S146, the caller is asked to enter the member'sID number. This can be done either audibly, or using the telephonekeypad. If the caller is unaware of the member's ID number, thisparticular step can be bypassed by pressing the pound (#) key. If thecaller does not know the member's ID number, subsequent information canbe collected to later determine the member's ID by cross-referencingvarious information stored on the prescription processing systemdatabase. If the member's ID number is known and submitted by thecaller, the information is inserted into the ASCII file for the currentprescription request.

At step S150, the caller is prompted to say the member's full name andzip code. Step S150 is also performed if at step S124, the caller didnot know the number of the prescription being renewed. At step S152, themember's ID number is inserted into the ASCII file. As previouslyindicated, the member's ID number can be determined by the prescriptionprocessing system if it is unknown to the caller. This can beaccomplished, for example, by cross-referencing the member's name andzip code with existing information stored on the prescription processingsystem database in order to determine the member's ID number andsubsequently insert the ID number into the ASCII file.

At step S154, the caller is prompted to say the patient's full name anddate of birth. This information helps, in part, to determine theappropriateness and/or dosage of certain medication based on thepatient's age. At step S156, the patient's information is stored in theASCII file. At step S158, the caller is prompted to say the patient'smailing address. At step S160, the caller is prompted to say theprescription information. As previously stated, the prescriptioninformation can include, for example, the type of medication, dosage,etc. During the prescription renewal process, if there was a change intherapy, control would also have passed to step S160. At step S160, thecaller submits information such as the medication name, the strength,the quantity, the dosage instructions, and refill instructions. Inaddition, the caller is informed that generics will normally besubstituted unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, the caller isinformed that the medication can be prescribed for a period of up to 90days, with four subsequent refills. It should be noted, however, thatvarious other messages may be provided to the caller depending onregulations established by the federal or local authorities.

At step S162, the information provided by the caller is recorded. Atstep S164, the prescription processing system replays or displays therecorded information in order to obtain approval from the caller. Thecaller can accept the recorded prescription information by saying theword “1” or pressing the “1” key on the telephone keypad. The caller canelect to re-record the prescription information by saying the word “2”or pressing the “2” key on the telephone keypad. Finally, the caller cancancel the transaction by saying the word “3” or pressing the “3” key onthe telephone keypad. If the caller elects to cancel the transaction,control passes to block D. At step S166, the caller's selection isexamined. If the caller would like to resubmit the prescriptioninformation, then control returns to step S160. If the caller would liketo accept the recorded prescription information, then control passes tostep S168 where the physician ANI number, the member's information, andthe audio or data files are bundled into a single file or other manner.

At step S170, the caller is transferred to the closings section and thebundled information is saved to the appropriate prescription processingsystem database. If the caller decided to cancel the prescriptionrequest at any point, he or she is provided with a confirmation messageat step S172 that the prescription request has been cancelled.Regardless of whether or not the prescription request has beencancelled, the caller is still directed to the closings section. At stepS174, the caller is asked if he or she would like to enter anotherprescription request. The caller makes a selection by either selecting“1” or “2”. The caller's selection is examined at step S176. If thecaller would like to submit another prescription request, then theappropriate selection is “1”, and control passes to step S178. At stepS178, the caller is informed that he or she will be required to submitinformation regarding the new prescription and control passes to stepS112. If the caller decides not to enter any additional prescriptions,then control passes to step S180. The caller is informed that theprescription will be processed and received by the patient inapproximately 5 to 7 business days.

Depending on the specific embodiment of the invention being implemented,the amount of time required to deliver the prescription to the patientcan vary. For example, the caller may be provided with an option torequest overnight delivery once the prescription has been filled.Alternatively, the caller may be provided with an option to request thatthe prescription be filled at a local pharmacy where the patient canphysically go and pick up the medication.

FIGS. 6A-6E are flow diagrams illustrating an alternative implementationof the prescription processing system of the present invention. At stepS210, a telephone connection is established between the caller and theprescription processing system. The caller is greeted and provided withinstructions for selecting whether a prescription renewal is beingsubmitted or a new prescription is being submitted. The caller makes aselection by either saying the word “1” to renew the prescription orsaying the word “2” to submit a new prescription. Alternatively, thekeys of the telephone keypad can be used to make the selection. At stepS214, the caller's input is examined. If a new prescription is beingsubmitted, then control passes to block A. If a prescription is beingrenewed, then control passes to step S216.

At step S216, the prescription processing system database is queried toidentify the physician telephone or ANI number. This can be done inseveral ways. For example, the caller can be prompted to submit thetelephone number of the physician's office, or the telephone number fromwhich the caller has dialed can be automatically captured and comparedto various telephone numbers stored on the database in order to obtain across-referenced match for the physician telephone or ANI number, andoptionally the called number or DNIS number may also or alternatively beused. Alternatively the caller can be prompted to input thisinformation. At step S218, the prescription processing system determinesif the ANI number has been found. If it has been found, then controlpasses to step S220. If the ANI number cannot be found, then the calleris prompted to submit either the physician's DEA or fax number. At stepS224, the database is again queried in order to search for the DEA orfax number. If the DEA or fax number is found, then control passes tostep S220. If neither the DEA nor the fax number are found, then thecaller is prompted at step S228 to say the physician's full name andtelephone number. Control then returns to step S220.

The caller is prompted to submit the 12 digit number of the prescriptionbeing renewed. At step S230, the prescription processing system databaseis queried to locate the prescription number. If the prescription numbercannot be found, then control passes to block B. If the prescriptionnumber is found, then a verification message is played for the caller atstep S234 in order to confirm that the appropriate prescription numberwas submitted. At step S236, the caller provides an indication ofwhether he or she would like to accept the prescription number orresubmit a new prescription number. If the caller would like to resubmitthe prescription number, then he or she can say or input the word “2”and control returns to step S220. If the prescription number isaccepted, then control passes to step S238 where the caller is directedto the closings section. Callers who are submitting new prescriptionrequests are directed to step S240 where the prescription processingsystem database is queried for the physician ANI number. As previouslydiscussed, the ANI number can be submitted, cross-referenced, etc.Similar to the procedure for renewing prescriptions, if the ANI numberis not found at step S242, then control passes to step S236. The calleris prompted to say the DEA or fax number of the prescribing physician.

At step S248, the prescription processing system database is queried tolocate the DEA or fax number of the prescribing physician. If neithernumbers are found at step S250, then the caller is prompted to say thephysician's full name and telephone number at step S252. If either thephysician ANI number or the DEA number or fax number is found, thencontrol passes to step S244. Likewise, control passes to step S244 afterthe caller has submitted the physician's full name and telephone number.At step S244, the physician's information is embedded into an e-mail orappropriate file. At step S254, the caller is prompted to say the memberID number corresponding to the patient. Furthermore, if the prescriptionnumber was not found during a prescription renewal, the caller will alsobe directed to step S254. At step S256, the prescription processingsystem database is queried to locate the member ID number. If the memberID number is not found at step S258, then the caller is prompted to saythe member's full name and zip Control will also pass to step S262 afterthe caller has submitted the member's name and zip code. At step S262,the member and patient information is embedded into the e-mail orappropriate data file. At step S264, the caller submits the patient'sfull name, date of birth, and mailing address. At step S266, theprescription processing system writes administrative information to thedata file. The administrative information can consist of any data thatwill later assist in the conversion and transcription of the filesgenerated while receiving a prescription request. At step S268, thecaller submits the actual prescription information. At step S270, thecaller is informed that generic drugs will be substituted, asappropriate. If the caller does not wish to accept generic drugs, thenthis request can be made while submitting the prescription information.

At step S272, the recorded information is replayed for approval by thecaller. At step S274, the caller can elect to accept the currentrecorded prescription information by either saying or pressing the word“1” or resubmit the prescription information by saying or pressing theword “2”. If the caller would like to resubmit the prescriptioninformation, then control returns to step S268. If the caller issatisfied with the current prescription information, then control passesto step S276. The recordings and other files are then saved on theprescription processing system database in digital form. At step S278,the caller is directed to the closings section. The information saved onthe prescription processing system for the prescription request can alsobe e-mailed, or otherwise transmitted, for storage to an appropriatequeue in the database. The prescription requests can be subsequentlyaccessed, for example, by a header entry agent for processing.

At step S280, the caller is asked if he or she would like to submitanother prescription request. At step S282, the caller can elect tosubmit another prescription request by either saying or pressing theword “1”. At step S284, the caller is informed that a new script will berequired and control returns to step S212. The script corresponds to thedialogue/information submitted to generate the prescription request. Thecaller can also indicate that no additional prescription requests aredesired by either saying or pressing the word “2”. Control would thenpass to step S286 where a parting greeting is played.

FIGS. 7A-7E are flow diagrams illustrating processing of prescriptionrequests according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. At step S300, the caller (or appropriate personnel)establishes a connection with the prescription processing system. Oncethe connection is established, the caller is greeted with a messageidentifying the prescription processing system. In the event that apatient or member attempts to establish connection to the prescriptionprocessing system, a message can be optionally played to indicate thatthe line is for physician use only. Patients and members would have tocall back and select a different option. Optionally, the message cangive the caller a choice to be redirected to a different (orpatient/member) menu. At step S302, an optional message indicating thatprescriptions for controlled medications cannot be accepted via theprescription processing system is played for the physician. At stepS304, the caller is asked whether he or she is renewing an existingprescription or requesting a new prescription. If the caller is renewinga prescription, he or she can select this option by either saying theword “1”, or pressing the “1” key on the telephone keypad. To submit anew prescription, the caller can either say the word “2” or press thenumber “2” on the telephone keypad. Accordingly, it should beappreciated that a voice responsive system should be available tointerpret the selection when the caller speaks the desired commands.Regardless of the selection, control will proceed to step S306. However,the prescription processing system will store the selection in order totailor subsequent messages and questions to the caller.

At step S306, the caller is prompted to say his or her full name andofficial (or office) title. Preferably, the “#” key can be pressed toprovide an indication that the caller has finished saying the requestedinformation. Alternatively, it should be noted that the prescriptionprocessing system can be configured to detect when the caller hascompleted saying the information based on a predetermined period ofvocal inactivity. At step S308, the caller is prompted to say theprescribing physician's full name, telephone number, and office address.At step S310, the caller is prompted to enter the member ID number. Thecaller is also given an option to bypass this step by pressing the “#”key on the telephone keypad if he or she does not know the member IDnumber. At step S312, the caller is prompted to say the member's fullname and zip code.

At step S314, the caller says the full name and date of birth of thepatient. At step S316, the caller says the patient's mailing address.Depending on whether the caller had elected to renew or submit a newprescription, a different series of questions will follow. For arenewal, control passes to step S318. The caller is prompted to submitthe number of the prescription to be renewed. The caller is optionallyinstructed to press the “#” key on the telephone keypad if he or shedoes not know the prescription number. If the caller does not know theprescription number, then control passes to step S326. At step S320, thecaller is prompted to indicate whether or not there will be a change intherapy for the prescription being renewed. If there is a change intherapy, the caller can either say the word “yes” or press the “1” keyon the telephone keypad. If, on the other hand, there is no change intherapy, then the caller can say the word “no” or press the “2” key onthe telephone keypad. A change in therapy transfers control to stepS328, while no change in therapy allows the process to continue to stepS322. The caller can also cancel the current transaction by saying theword “3” or pressing the “3” key on the telephone keypad. Control wouldsubsequently pass to block A.

At step S322, the caller is informed that the prescription will berenewed. The caller must also provide an input that is indicative ofwhether or not he or she would like to confirm renewal of theprescription, or cancel the current prescription renewal. If thetransaction is to be cancelled, then control would again pass to blockA. Otherwise, if the prescription will be renewed, then control passesto step S324. At step S324, the caller is asked to submit the drug nameand strength for the prescription being renewed. Control then proceedsto step S330.

Returning to step S316, if the caller had elected to submit a newprescription, control would have branched to step S326. The caller isinformed that generic versions of the drug will be substituted, unlessindicated otherwise. The caller is also prompted to indicate the numberof prescriptions that will be submitted. At step S328, the caller isprompted to say the prescription information. The caller is alsoreminded to include information such as the medication name, thestrength, the quantity, directions, and refill instructions.Furthermore, the caller is informed that the medication can beprescribed for a period of up to 90 days, with three subsequent refills.

At step S330, the prescription processing system replays the recordedprescription information in order to obtain approval from the caller.The caller can accept the recorded prescription information by sayingthe word “1” or pressing the “1” key on the telephone keypad. The callercan elect to re-record the prescription information by saying the word“2” or pressing the “2” key on the telephone keypad. Finally, the callercan cancel the transaction by saying the word “3” or pressing the “3”key on the telephone keypad. If the caller elects to cancel thetransaction, control passes to block A. At block A, the caller isdirected to step S336 and informed that the transaction has beencancelled. Control then passes to step S332. If the caller would like toresubmit the prescription information, then control passes to step S334.The caller is advised that he or she must resubmit the prescriptioninformation and control returns to step S328.

At step 332, the caller is asked if he or she would like to submitanother prescription. If the caller would like to submit anotherprescription request, then control passes to step S338. At step S338,the caller is informed that he or she will be required to submitinformation regarding the new prescription and control returns to stepS304. Control can also pass to step S310, depending on certain optionalembodiments of the invention. If the caller decides not to enteradditional prescriptions, then control passes to step S340. The calleris informed that the prescription will be processed and received by thepatient in approximately 7 to 10 business days.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating another embodiment of the presentinvention for processing prescription requests. At step S350, atelephone call is initiated from the physician's office to theprescription processing system. Alternatively, a dedicated callprocessing center for receiving calls from the physician can beestablished as part of the prescription processing system. At step S352,a connection is established with the prescription processing system. Thephysician is given an option to select between either a blank form, amember populated form, or a physician populated form. The form is usedfor producing a tangible copy of the prescription request, as will bedescribed in greater detail hereinbelow.

For example, if a blank form is requested, there will be no patientinformation or physician information written on the form when it isprovided to the physician. If a member populated form is selected, thenthe physician will receive a form that contains information which hasbeen previously supplied by the member. Likewise, a doctor populatedform contains information about the physician and the patient which hasbeen previously submitted by the physician. It should be noted, however,that certain situations can necessitate that the physician select aparticular type of form. For example, if the physician does not have anyinformation on file and the member for whom the prescription request isbeing submitted is a new member, then there will be insufficientinformation for populating the form. Consequently, the physician mustrequest a blank form.

At step S354, the physician is prompted to submit certain informationabout the member, patient, etc. Furthermore, the physician must enter anoffice fax number. The information can be entered in a variety of waysincluding, as previously described, through the telephone keypad ornormal speech. Once the data has been submitted, the pre-populatedinformation previously stored in the prescription processing systemdatabase is entered into a prescription fax form. The prescription faxform is then faxed to the physician's office. The physician will berequired to subsequently enter specific details regarding themedication, patient history, etc. into the prescription fax form.Furthermore, the physician can submit a signature on the fax form.

Referring additionally to FIG. 9, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the prescription fax form can include a designatedsection wherein the physician can attach an actual copy of theprescription form. As shown herein, the prescription fax form hasnumerous labels that identify corresponding fields. The illustratedprescription fax form is a blank form and contains no informationregarding the patient or the physician within most of the fields. Theonly information contained on the fax form is the office fax number forthe physician. This is the only necessary information as theprescription fax form must be faxed to the physician's office. Theprescription fax form contains various fields for the physician to enterinformation necessary to process the prescription. In addition, adesignated section is provided for the physician to affix the actualprescription form to the prescription fax form.

At step S358, the physician faxes the completed prescription fax form tothe prescription processing system. The fax form is received, andprepared for routing to an appropriate filling pharmacy at step S360. Atstep S362, an operator such as a medical personnel, pharmacist, orphysician located with respect or access to the prescription processingsystem reviews the information contained on the prescription fax formand enters the information into the database of the prescriptionprocessing system. The prescription fax form is then routed to theappropriate pharmacy where the prescription will be filled at step S364.Once the prescription has been filled, the medication is submitted tothe patient. As previously discussed, this can be accomplished eitherthrough conventional product delivery channels such as the United StatesPostal Service or specialized couriers. Alternatively, the prescriptionfax form can be routed to a pharmacy that is conveniently accessible tothe patient. Once the prescription is filled, the patient would simplygo the local pharmacy and obtain the medication.

FIG. 10A is a flow diagram which illustrates renewal of prescriptionrequests according to another embodiment of the present invention. Atstep S410, the physician contacts the prescription processing system andsubmits the audible prescription request. The audible, or other data,prescription request is captured in the form of a digital audio file, aspreviously described. At step S412, the digital audio file is convertedto a data file using various processing techniques such as, for example,computer-aided voice recognition processing. Once the digital audio filehas been converted to a data file, the data file is stored in theprescription processing system database at step S414.

At step S416, the prescription processing system receives and validatesthe physician's ANI number and the prescription number that he or shewould like to renew. At step S418, the prescription processing systemvalidates the member's (or patient's) eligibility to participate in theprogram. As previously stated, the member's eligibility will depend onthe particular insurance carrier being used and whether the insurancecarrier has previously negotiated to utilize the prescription processingsystem. At step S420, the prescription processing system reviews the ANInumber to verify that there is a match currently on file for thephysician. If there is no corresponding match on record for thephysician, then control passes to step S422. At step S422, acommunication flag is raised in order to alert an appropriate personnelsuch as an operator, technician, pharmacist, and/or medical doctor, ofthe prescription processing system to initiate contact with thephysician and verify the information that was previously submitted.Otherwise, if there is a current match on record for the physician's ANInumber, then control passes to step S424.

The prescription number being renewed is queried against the database tolocate the existing prescription. If the existing prescription cannot belocated in the database, then control passes to step S426. At step S426,a header entry agent will review the information submitted by thephysician (both the digital audio file and the data file, if necessary)in order to determine whether errors have been encountered in the datatranslation phase of step S412. The header entry agent may find itnecessary to contact the physician if the original prescription numberstill cannot be located in the database. If the prescription number islocated, then control passes to step S428. At this point, all of theinformation necessary to complete the prescription request form isautomatically retrieved from the database of the prescription processingsystem and entered into a prescription request form. The completedprescription request form is subsequently transmitted to the pharmacy tobe filled at step S430.

FIG. 10B illustrates the process for submitting new prescriptionrequests. At step S450, the physician contacts the prescriptionprocessing system and submits the audible, or other form, prescriptionrequest. At step S452, the digitized audio prescription request isconverted into a data file. At step S454 the data file is stored on thedatabase of the prescription processing system. At step S456, the ANInumber and prescription number are validated by the prescriptionprocessing system. At step S458, the members' eligibility for using theprescription processing system is checked. At step S460, the physicianANI number is used to query the database to determine whether there is arecord of the ANI number. If there is no existing record, then acommunication flag is raised in order to alert, for example, a headerentry agent to review the information and possibly initiate contact withthe physician. If there is an existing ANI number, then the member IDnumber is used to query the database. If there is no existing member IDnumber on record, then the header entry agent will review theinformation submitted in order to verify that no errors have occurred.If the member ID number still cannot be located, then the physician willbe contacted in order to provide this information. Once the member IDnumber is located, the existing information for the prescription isforwarded to a header entry agent at step S470 in order to prepare acompleted prescription request form. The prescription request form issubsequently sent to the pharmacy at step S472 in order to fill theprescription.

Hardware Description

FIG. 11 is an illustration of the computer system and telephone networkused in several embodiments of the invention. FIG. 12 is an illustrationof another computer of the type suitable for use in the invention. FIG.13 is a block diagram of standard computer components that make up astandard computer and that may be used in the invention. FIG. 14 is aconceptual view of the memory storage medium.

Hardware Configurations

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the hardware design of a computer of thetype that can be used in the invention. A video adapter board 210,preferably at VGA or better resolution, interconnects to a video monitor212. A serial communication circuit 214 interfaces a pointing device,such as a mouse 216. A parallel communication circuit may be used inplace of circuit 214 in another embodiment. A keyboard controllercircuit 218 interfaces a keyboard 220. A small computer systemsinterface (SCSI) adapter provides a SCSI bus to which, for example, a100 Gb or greater hard disk drive is attached. The hard drive 222 storesdatabase files such as the patient files, drug utilization files, anddemographic files.

FIG. 12 illustrates another personal computer of the type suitable forcarrying out the invention. Viewed externally, the conceptual computersystem in FIG. 12 has a central processing unit 224 having disk drives.Disk drive indications 226, 228 are merely symbolic of a number of diskdrives which might be accommodated by the computer system. Typicallythese would include a floppy disk drive 226, a hard disk drive (notshown externally), and a CD ROM. The number and type of drives varies,typically with different computer configurations. Disk drives are infact optional, and for space considerations, may easily be omitted fromthe computer system used in conjunction with the processes describedherein.

The computer also has an optional display upon which information isdisplayed. In some situations, a keyboard 230 and a mouse 232 may beprovided as input devices to interface with the central processing unit.Then again, for enhanced portability, the keyboard may be either alimited function keyboard or omitted in its entirety. In addition, mousemay be a touch pad control device, or a track ball device, or evenomitted in its entirety as well. In addition, the computer system alsooptionally includes at least one infrared transmitter and/or infraredreceiver for either transmitting and/or receiving infrared signals, oneexample of wireless transmission and/or reception.

FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram of the internal hardware of thecomputer of FIG. 12. A bus serves as the main information highwayinterconnecting the other components of the computer. CPU 234 is thecentral processing unit of the system, performing calculations and logicoperations required to execute a program. Read only memory (ROM) 236 andrandom access memory (RAM) 238 constitute the main memory of thecomputer. Disk controller 240 interfaces one or more disk drives to thesystem bus. These disk drives may be floppy disk drives 242 or CD ROM244 or DVD (digital video disks) drives such as, internal or externalhard drives 246. As indicated previously, these various disk drives anddisk controllers are optional devices.

A display interface 248 interfaces the display 250 and permitsinformation from the bus to be displayed on the display 250. Again asindicated, the display is also an optional accessory. For example, thedisplay could be substituted or omitted from the device, and a displayon the telephone may be used to display information. Communication withexternal devices occurs utilizing, for example, the communication portor standard wireless devices.

In addition to the standard components of the computer, the computeralso optionally includes an infrared transmitter 252 and/or infraredreceiver 254. Infrared transmitter is utilized when the computer systemis used in the process described herein. Infrared receiver is generallyutilized when the computer system is used in conjunction with thetelephone that is to receive the infrared signal. Instead of utilizingan infrared transmitter or infrared receiver, the computer system coulduse at least one of a low power radio transmitter and/or a low powerradio receiver. The low power radio transmitter transmits the signal forreception by another low power radio receiver. The low power radiotransmitter and/or receiver are standard devices in industry.

Additionally, the computer system can be provided with an optionalsecurity layer (not shown) to prevent unauthorized access data andhardware. Security layers may also be included in the communicationbetween the physician and pharmacist or between the pharmacist andfilling pharmacy to protect privacy or for other reasons (e.g.,preventing theft or fraud). The security layer includes any standardsecurity scheme or technology, such as standard decryption technology,and may be used system wide as well, for example, with all workstations,pharmacist, physicians, and the like. As described above, the presentinvention does not require the direct interaction with the variouscomputers, but provides this additional feature to further facilitatethe communication process between various work station personnel, andthe like.

FIG. 14 is an illustration of an exemplary memory medium 256 which canbe used with disk drives illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. Typically,memory media such as floppy disks, a CD ROM, or a digital video diskwill contain, for example, a multi-byte locale for a single bytelanguage and the program information for controlling the computer toenable the computer to perform the functions described herein.Alternatively, ROM 236 and/or RAM 238 illustrated in FIG. 13 can also beused to store the program information that is used to instruct thecentral processing unit to perform the operations associated with thepresent invention.

Major objectives and advantages of the present invention are convenienceand cost reduction (where appropriate, safe, and effective). Theprescription processing network stands to benefit physicians,pharmacists, and patients. More particularly, a physician's time can beefficiently spent treating patients, and prescription requests can besubmitted when such an action will not adversely effect the timeavailable to treat patients. Furthermore, pharmacists can focus his orher time and attention to accurate preparation of prescriptions withoutinterruption. Patients also benefit in several ways. First, scheduledappointments are easier to maintain. The quality of care received isimproved because the physician's time is not wasted on other tasks, suchas submitting prescription requests. Furthermore, costs are reducedbecause of the improved efficiency realized by the physician andpharmacist.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and variations will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation illustrated and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

1. A prescription processing system comprising: a telephone forreceiving an audible prescription request; a computer for capturing theaudible prescription request and for receiving a digitized prescriptionrequest, the computer creating an identification file, includingidentification data, for the at least one of the digitized prescriptionrequest and the audible prescription request and associating theidentification file and the at least one of the digitized prescriptionrequest and the audible prescription request to form a prescriptionfile; a header entry agent for retrieving general information from atleast one of the digitized prescription request and the audibleprescription request after the audible prescription request has beenconverted to a digitized format at the prescription processing system,and the general information is transcribed, and wherein said generalinformation comprises non-medication related information comprising atleast one of member's name, member's identification number, physicianinformation, and patient information; a user interface enablingpersonnel associated with the prescription processing system toindependently assesses correctness of at least one of the digitizedprescription request and the audible prescription request and prepares acompleted prescription information based on the at least one of thedigitized prescription request and the audible prescription request; anda pharmacy for receiving said completed prescription information, andfilling said prescription request based on the completed prescriptioninformation, and when the physician's phone number and the prescriptionnumber result in a predetermined relationship, wherein the predeterminedrelationship is a match between the physician's phone number and theprescription number and a stored physician's phone number and a storedprescription number stored at the prescription processing system thenfilling the prescription request, at the predetermined pharmacy, basedon the completed prescription information.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the header entry agent comprises at least one of a person or anintelligent software program.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein thepersonnel comprises at least one of a pharmacist, a medical doctor, anda licensed physician assistant.